Creating a travel photo book is a great way to provide a sense of a place. This month’s “Book of the Month” winner at Bob Books was Andy Lowe, who recently created a stunning travel photo book of his journey through Ethiopia.

Lowe has loved art and design since as early as he can remember and travel photography has been his hobby for nearly 40 years. He studied graphic design and photography and now works as a magazine designer, which gives him plenty of opportunities to photograph people.

“My first objective was to convey to those who haven't been to Ethiopia the sights, people and experiences I had,” explains Lowe. “I also wanted to capture the feeling of being there and in this instance especially, I wanted to show what a surprise Ethiopia is.”

He points out that the aim of travel photography is always to capture the essence of a place, and by creating a travel photo book, you’re able to tell the story of that place.

“I created this travel photo book for myself first and foremost, as I wanted to capture in a visually creative way what I saw and experienced. But I also wanted the photo book to tell a story and be of interest to others who want to know more about Ethiopia.”

Lowe’s main tip for other photographers looking to create an effective travel photo book is to “ruthlessly edit your photos.” This will help you weed out any images that are technically, compositionally or creatively weak.

He also suggests selecting photos that provide a good mix of viewpoints, subjects and details.

“Think about how someone will go through the book,” he says. “Each turn of the page should tell a different story or show a new aspect rather than just being pages of similar themes or views.”

Read more about travel photography in this month’s RPS Journal, featuring Sebastaio Salgado HonFRPS, David Noton FRPS and the Society’s Travel Group.

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